Re-ordered Time
by Era Dubois
Summary: Years have passed and a wish Jareth had made has come true. The problem with time and wishes, though, is that some days just don't go as planned until you get them just right. Just an idea on what might happen if Jareth had to endure an event similar to Phil Connors' in Groundhog Day. : )
1. The Wish

Chapter 1

The wind bit into him past the feathers and to his heart. He never participated. It was never warranted. The villain does not celebrate with the heroes. His was a fairy tale. One with but a single happy ending. Which, rightfully, belonged to the hero who had changed for the better. Nowhere but in the stories where one was good and turned evil is the villain invited at the end.

The recent champion was playing with her friends in her childhood room with her childhood things. She wore a ridiculous paper hat, a mock crown of yellow tissue, and spoke with his subjects and basked in their praise while he perched on his limb in her tree. He flew away then. He did not care to see how much fun they all could have without him and for her his role was done.

Back on his throne in the Underground the King conjured a pretty crystal, nothing more, and watched with a satisfied smile as Toby breathed calmly in his sleep. He was such an adorable little creature. It would not have done to make him into a goblin. It warmed Jareth's heart in a way not entirely foreign when a Runner won against him. If his kingdom was any indication he was not bested often. Mothers, babysitters, nieces, friends, and all manner of relations were wished away and most were doomed to live under his care. His care was not much to speak of. The Underground did things to people that seemed to dull their wit and make crude their thoughts. That must have been what was happening. He was an adult in every aspect and she was a child. Yet, her desires, nay her wishes, had called for her being desired.

How little her mother must make her feel. And that fellow that snatched her mother away. He had been glamorous, amorous, and a trickster that the Aboveground called an actor. For some god awful reason precious Sarah Williams had wanted her antihero in the form of her mother's lover. Well let her have her friends and let her play her games. Let her love the child and learn to see that it's not Karen's fault that she fell in love with Mr. Williams. And let her, if there is anything called fairness, create a life for herself independent of her mother's approval.


	2. Inciting Incident

A/N: The website refuses to indent and include transition symbols, sorry.

Chapter 2

Sarah had graduated two years early from high school and decided against acting after three rejections and a literal door in her face when it came to her college applications and auditions. But, she couldn't let go of her love for the written word and how when it was read aloud it took on this magical quality. That was why she chose to study 18th century English poetry. Of course old words and the understanding one can gain from them doesn't pay the bills so she went and got a job at her father's law firm as a clerk. Only until she could find something better. Don't get her wrong she certainly was not taking her job with her father for granted.

She knew a lot about what it took to film a project and what a studio wanted to see because for most of her young life she had planned on being in front of the camera. Two months at her father's firm and Sarah jumped at the chance of a internship at the local news station. After two years of earning her dues and one very terrible break up Sarah decided to transfer to Channel 9 in Pittsburgh. On her way she took an alternate route and found herself lost. The car crashed and it felt like the world was falling down around her. In that instant of fear she didn't say God's name, despite ten years of catholic school, she didn't say mommy or daddy, no, she didn't say anything at all.

When she came to she wasn't on the back road she had last seen but was in the entry court near the fountain she had tried to forget for the last fifteen years. She sat up and could hear a familiar voice, "Seven," it was Hoggle! She stood and turned and put a hand to her forehead. She felt dizzy and sick and she didn't understand what had brought her here. She hadn't wished anyone away and if she had she was certain that a particular drama king would have made some showy entrance and declared the rules. She couldn't imagine anyone having wished her away. Then it hit her. If she was here she wouldn't be able to make it to the channel 9 job and there was some girl from South Carolina that was interviewing too. What if that woman got it because of this nonsense?

(Transition)

A woman in her early thirties had contacted the King by using some foolish book months ago to find a way to curse a bad hearted ex lover of hers, some Phil fellow, it wasn't important. The words were said and the promise made. Jareth never thought he would ever need to think on it again. The man had claimed that Clair, the woman, was a good _day_ not a good life. She'd wanted him punished to live the same day and make it clear that one day could very well be a life. Jareth hadn't found a day to curse the man in yet, but, he _was_ a busy man. He was a king after all.

Something called to him to check in on his champion as the car fender crumpled into the stone wall. Sarah had hit her head in the crash and she would not have made it out unscathed in any situation. That cinched it. He tossed the crystal into the air and froze the day. Magic was not designed to meddle in life or death. Not the acts of them. Those were a magic of their own. Now the bits between those were up for grabs. Jareth had bought her time though. Years of it. As long as she stayed suspended in this one day Sarah would live. Jareth looked at the calendar which corresponded to Aboveground dates. February 2nd. For the foreseeable future Punxsutawney Pennsylvania and the Underground would be stuck in Groundhog Day.


	3. Feeling It Out

Chapter 3

Two beasts alike in attitude 

both entitled and stagnate

Two beauties akin in fortitude

Who must the beasts trans-mutate.

"I don't understand." Sarah stared at the Wiseman. "What sort of advice is that?"

The old man shrugged upsetting his hat slightly in the process which spoke up after a grunt, "He doesn't know, now, leave a contribution in the box."

On a huff Sarah placed a penny in the slot and thanked them tersely. She needed to get to the center of the Labyrinth, to the castle beyond the Goblin City, and figure out what had brought her here. She hardly remembered all of the twists and turns and late in the day she was in the castle foyer. None of the creatures, not even those that called her friend had paid her any attention during this run. Not even Jareth, Mr. stickyournoseinit himself had bothered to make an appearance in the time it had taken her to walk all the way through. If time was set up the way it had been before she should have a few hours left to argue her case and get herself out of this mess.

Jareth sat on his throne and smiled when she stepped into the hall, if he had been able to "help" her she might have been delayed even further, but today the Labyrinth was denying him his control. It took her most of the day and tomorrow was approaching fast.

"She was non-responsive when she was checked in by this guy who said he found her on the road." The nurse tossed the chart on the counter. "She's got a nasty bump on the head and we found lacerations along the left side of her body but so far she seems to be okay."

"All right," The doctor picked up the chart and scanned the information to confirm what the nurse had said, "I am going to order a scan and see if we can find anything wrong with her. She should wake up soon."


	4. Loop

Chapter 4

The scan came back clean. Sarah Williams would wake up within the next few hours as long as she continued to breathe on her own and exhibit healthy brain function. Jareth was happy to hear the news. Sarah would be safe. But then, Jareth had made the time loop to keep her safe, if she was fine then the loop shouldn't need to start. It was taking her forever to walk her way to his chamber. He forgot that he had changed his interior a bit since her last visit. He needed a break from the goblins and had moved his throne room just beyond the hall of stairs. She had already spent three hours wandering around and was now muttering about waking up. Two hours later and her head was in her hands and she was crying. He checked on the hospital. Sarah was shifting...10...9...8...her hand twitched opened and closed...4...3...her eyes started to flutter...2...she was...

It was 6 a.m. February 2nd. Jareth looked around. He had fallen asleep seated in his throne, the crystal resting in his lap, he looked in and saw the chaos that was when he had just left Sarah alone at the hospital. Shifting his view he saw Sarah wake up in the courtyard. "No." He shook his head gently. "No..nonoonnonoonono. This can't be. Nothing goes without my planning. Why is time restarting?" He looked into the life of the weatherman and saw him just as confused.

Jareth walked up to a goblin and picked him up by the ear. "What day is it?" The goblin squirmed and looked as though it was trying to think very hard, "Is it majesty's birthday?" Jareth dropped the stench ridden thing and watched it scurry away. He would have to get the book and undo the spell.

He stormed into the library and, after spending the day trying to find the blasted thing, pulled the offending tome from it's place on the shelf. Upon thumbing through he found the spells undoing. "Two beasts alike in attitude both entitled and stagnate. Two beauties akin in fortitude who must the beasts trans-mutate." He sat down in a puff of dust and glitter. "Well what is that supposed to mean?" Then he was back in the throne room. Days passed like this and then weeks and then it stopped the day would go from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. everyday but by then Jareth was done watching her fall into the bog or get lost in the hall of stairs but mostly he was tired of seeing her beaten by the Labyrinth itself. Despite the Labyrinth denying him his magic Jareth was going to win over this loop and maybe Sarah too.


	5. Hospitality

Chapter 5

"You have names?" Jareth was looking back and fourth at the four heads of the guardsmen in utter confusion. It had never occurred to him that the citizens had given names.

"Why yes," said the first, "I am Blackwell," He pointed at the others who introduced themselves in turn, "Whitmire. Clash. Asbury."

Jareth pursed his lips and nodded his head. He shook the hand of each and was about to leave when Clash made to speak. "Yes?"

"Well, I was only going to ask if Your Majesty was going to attend the party tonight?"

"Party?"

"Yes," This was Asbury, "The party we hold to celebrate your ascension to the throne."

"You throw a party?" Jareth thought that was strange because no one had ever mentioned it. He brought this point up to them.

"Of course we haven't," Clash, "You don't speak to us. We grew used to you speaking _at_ us." The other three guards hid behind the shields but Clash was unfazed.

Jareth didn't get angry at them though. Having absolutely nothing change for, if his count was accurate, 597 days had given him the time, without diversion, to see that he was not the greatest of men and since the loop had started running at a regular pace without any end in sight Jareth was working on fixing that. "I know I have not been the kindest of kings but I promise you from this day forth I will try to treat you all with the respect you deserve." Then he left them with everyone of the four of them confused.

Jareth walked past the bog and saw a little fox riding on a dog. Both dog and rider were on their way somewhere.

"Where are you going?"

Sir Didymus looked around and startled at the sight of his king. "Oh, Your Majesty, I am simply on my way back to my post at the bog with the sweetest smell."

"You're heading away from the Bog."

"Quite right, sir, so foolish of me." He started heading back the way he came.

"What's your name?"

The fox looked back slightly shocked at the question. "Didymus, Sir Didymus at your service sir."

"Didymus, knighted, right." He muttered then he tapped the fox on his shoulder and pointed him toward his first direction. "Enjoy your party Sir Didymus. Perhaps, if I find the need, you could be transferred to a post in the Goblin City."

Didymus smiled a bit awkwardly. A post in the city was something one earned only after serving in such a way that could be perceived as perfection. "Thank you Your Majesty."


	6. The Party

Chapter 6

Sarah made it to the foyer and saw a few goblins standing in the mouth of a hall looking rather tipsy. "Hay, Saralady! Itsh Sharah!" The two started singing a song she had never heard before and walked up to her. "Is Sharah coming to da party?"

"You recognize me? What party?" Sarah looked from goblin to goblin confused.

"Coursh we recognize SharaLadee. We just thought You wasn't real."

"What?" Sarah was starting to feel suspicious of a certain Goblin Monarch.

"Sometimes King dreams of you at night."

"Yesh, and King's dreams soo well."

Sarah put up her hands, "Are you telling me that when Jareth dreams his dreams can walk around?"

"Like ghostses." They then fall down in a heap reeking of root beer.

Sarah stepped over them and into the hall. "They never told me about the party."

She followed the sound of revelry to a hall filled with food and tables and a dance floor with a stage where Jareth stood singing with a full Underground band. She stood mesmerized by the music.

 _You should've been gone_  
 _Knowing how I made you feel_  
 _And I should've been gone_  
 _After all your words of steel_  
 _Oh, I must've been a dreamer_  
 _And I must've been someone else_  
 _And we should've been over_

 _Oh, Sherrie, our love_  
 _Holds on, holds on_  
 _Oh, Sherrie, our love_  
 _Holds on, holds on_

 _Oh, I want to let go_  
 _You'll go on hurtin' me_  
 _You'd be better off alone_  
 _If I'm not who you thought I'd be_

 _But you know that there's a fever_  
 _Oh, that you'll never find nowhere else_  
 _Can't you feel it burnin'_  
 _On-and-on_

 _Oh, Sherrie, our love_  
 _Holds on, holds on_  
 _Oh, Sherrie, our love_  
 _Holds on, holds on_  
 _Oh, Sherrie_

It was time for the musical interlude and he left the stage to say hello to her which broke the spell his voice had woven around her. Goblins continued the song and it faded slightly. The words garbled ever so subtly that she began to think that they were singing her name.

"What are you doing here?"

"It _is_ my kingdom, Sarah."

"Yeah well I never saw you at a party you were invited to before. Sorry. Ones in crystals not included."

Jareth sighed. She had never made it to the party and stayed before. There had been so many days she almost trusted, so many days she had almost believed he had changed when he had courted her so nicely. She hates White Chocolate and loves Fudgey Cake. Rocky Road is her favorite flavor of ice cream. She took french and failed it. She loved Sir Walter Scott and had quoted a few lines at him. Didn't exactly see himself as a wretch before then. "How are you enjoying the party?"

Sarah curled her lip slightly, "It's a peach."

He escorted her to the refreshments table and poured himself a cup of tea. A small voice piped up from the table cloth. "You best hold onto that one he's a keeper. Stopped by for tea today." Sarah looked down and saw two worms doing the closest thing to dancing that worms could get. "The Missus is right, 'S Majesty even put us up here so we woul'n't get trampled."

A goblin female tapped Jareth on the knee. "Thank you so much for saving old Wingnut today. Don't know what I'd do without my husband"

Jareth nodded, "Of course, Baiter, he just needs to stop trying to swallow chickens whole." Baiter laughed and made her way back to her husband.

"My Lady, have you heard? Ambrosius and I have been recognized for all of our valiant efforts and great deeds of heroism. My faithful steed and I have been given the post as head of the royal guard."

"That's wonderful Didymus." Sarah smiled and shook his hand. He left with a kiss on the back of her hand and a call of huzzah.

Sarah looked at Jareth incredulously. "What kind of day have you been having?"

Jareth smiled. "Oh, the usual. Care to dance?"

Sarah put out her hand but looked at him with daggers, "I keep on the clothes I am wearing."

Jareth twirled her into his arms and back out, "Cross my heart and hope to be bogged."

 _Oh, Sherrie_

 _But I should've been gone_  
 _Long ago, far away_  
 _And you should've been gone_  
 _Now I know just why you stay_

 _Oh, Sherrie, our love_  
 _Holds on, holds on_  
 _Oh, Sherrie, our love_  
 _Holds on, holds on_

 _Oh, Sherrie, our love_  
 _Holds on, holds on_

 _Hold on_  
 _Oh, Sherrie_

*Steve Perry owns this song*


	7. Granted

Chapter 7

Sarah listened calmly to everything the Goblin King was saying. According to him she had done this some half of a dozen times already. "You have been living the same day over again?"

"Yes." He sat low in the chair.

"And...you can not control the labyrinth?" Sarah put down the bowl of Rocky Road.

"Not at all." Jareth splayed his hands wide.

"You thought I was dying?" Sarah leaned forward slightly.

"I feared you were dying. Besides I had already made a deal to freeze Phil Connors." Jareth scooped up his bowl of mint chip and shoveled in an insane amount of the dessert.

"Uh-huh? Okay, how long did you know I was dreaming of the Labyrinth?" Sarah quirked an eyebrow at his surprised expression. "Don't act like you didn't know. I met a few of your citizens who claim your magic creates doppelgangers when you dream about me. But I have a fuzzy memory of walking around here and waking up in my bed. Which means, somehow, I have been visiting your kingdom in a dream state that they can see but not interact with. Which leads to the worry that you were losing control over the magic of this place long before I got in the accident."

Jareth glared at his spoon. "I guess."

"You know what I think it was," Sarah looked at the clock it was 5:55 and she said a little prayer, "I think you were taking this place for granted and it knew it. That is why you are stuck. Not to win me, but to lose. To deal with actually losing something. I know you let me win. But because of that adventure I learned to appreciate the things I had. Thanks to the accident though I probably lost the producer job at channel 9 and will have to take the pokey job out on channel 1 in New York."

"There is a channel one?!" He looked comically taken aback.

Sarah sighed. "Not the point Jareth. Even though I will have to take that job I still won't take the fact that I can support myself for granted. Today you saw how much people thought of you here and what a few good things can do. You've done good and well. I'm proud of you Jareth."

The clock chimed. It was February third and Sarah woke up to a very handsome doctor hoping that, for once, last night had been a little more than a dream.

Jareth walked amongst the toppled furniture and suspicious spills from the night before and watched a chicken nonchalantly use his throne as a toilet. Still, he thought as he wiped the dropping off with a ruined wall hanging, it was good to be king. "Well, It's a new day everyone, what should we do?"

The goblins covered their ears and eyes and mumbled variations of the sentiment to let them sleep. Jareth smiled, these were his goblins, his chickens, his labyrinth and if he could have them forever it wouldn't be long enough.


End file.
